Three Rivers Athletic Club to host ribbon cutting ceremony Friday
The fitness center once thought to be closing for good will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday after its new owners reopened the gym under a new name, Three Rivers Athletic Club.
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Cass County town hall to discuss data centers and local impact
SaveCassCounty is hosting a town hall in Cassopolis Sunday to discuss concerns around data centers, Fibrosan, and solar farms across Cass County. The organization has invited the public and elected officials to attend the second of two town halls organized by the group.
The town hall will be held on Sunday, September 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ross Beatty High School Auditorium, 22721 Diamond Cove Street, Cassopolis, Michigan.
Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission
The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday, September 23, at 6 p.m. at City Hall for a regular business meeting. Commissioners will consider a $616,000 water clarifier replacement and contingency budget, more than $512,000 in street resurfacing work, a $116,800 change order for the electric building project, and a proposed increase in the contracted hourly rate for a Forestry Field Manager.
Cass County interim prosecutor sworn-in through 2028
Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman appointed Sarah Scoggin to the position on an interim basis on May 28 following the resignation of former Prosecutor Victor Fitz.
Scoggin has now agreed to serve through the end of the term, which ends in 2028, and may choose to seek election to a subsequent term.
Sturgis Area Community Foundation announces new executive director
The Sturgis Area Community Foundation (SACF) Board of Trustees has appointed Ashley Magnus as its next Executive Director. An accomplished nonprofit executive with extensive experience in philanthropy, fundraising, strategic planning, and community engagement, Magnus brings a proven track record of organizational growth and community impact to the Foundation.
Three Rivers approves splash pad plan funding; continues SAFEbuilt discussions
SAFEbuilt came up repeatedly throughout the meeting, with commissioners raising their own and residents’ complaints about the company and SAFEbuilt representatives responding.
The discussion began during public comment when Glenn Lindsay, SAFEbuilt’s Midwest director of operations, addressed what he said were social media posts regarding the amount the city pays SAFEbuilt. Lindsay sought to explain the expenditures and argued that revenue from permits and rental inspections offsets much of the cost of SAFEbuilt’s services.
Dowagiac City Council selects Ward 1 replacement
After two split votes, Mayor Patrick Bakeman voted for David Fair as the successor to former Councilmember Tharan Suvarna, who resigned during their last meeting after accepting a job near his parents outside of Dowagiac.
Fair will serve the remainder of Suvarna’s four-year term. Suvarna was elected in November 2025.
Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission
The Three Rivers City Commission will meet this Tuesday, September 15 at 6 p.m. in city hall. Commissioners will work through a long agenda containing four public hearings and seven new business items.
Commissioners will consider the next steps for a property transfer to Habitat for Humanity, the 2027 Parks and Recreation department plan — which includes a splash pad, a second attempt at the sale of 810 S. Constantine St., and an annual review of city commission and administration guidelines.
Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission
The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday, September 9, at 6 p.m. Commissioners will work through a light agenda with three new business items. They will consider three tree maintenance and forestry contracts, a $60,000 marketing contract for the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts, and an Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificate for Summit Polymers’ facility expansion.
Live-streaming plan heads back to drawing board in Three Rivers
City staff recommended purchasing a Meeting Owl 5 Pro camera and supplemental equipment for up to $5,000, along with adopting a video retention policy. The proposed policy called for recordings to be deleted one day after the minutes for the corresponding meeting were approved — which occurs at the following meeting, typically 2-3 weeks later — unless a legal, FOIA, audit or investigation hold applied.
The system and policy were voted down unanimously.
Cass County town hall to discuss data centers and local impact
SaveCassCounty is hosting a town hall in Cassopolis Sunday to discuss concerns around data centers, Fibrosan, and solar farms across Cass County. The organization has invited the public and elected officials to attend the second of two town halls organized by the group. The town hall will be held on Sunday, September 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ross Beatty High School Auditorium, 22721 Diamond Cove Street, Cassopolis, Michigan.
Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission
The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday, September 23, at 6 p.m. at City Hall for a regular business meeting. Commissioners will consider a $616,000 water clarifier replacement and contingency budget, more than $512,000 in street resurfacing work, a $116,800 change order for the electric building project, and a proposed increase in the contracted hourly rate for a Forestry Field Manager.
Cass County interim prosecutor sworn-in through 2028
Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman appointed Sarah Scoggin to the position on an interim basis on May 28 following the resignation of former Prosecutor Victor Fitz. Scoggin has now agreed to serve through the end of the term, which ends in 2028, and may choose to seek election to a subsequent term.
Sturgis Area Community Foundation announces new executive director
The Sturgis Area Community Foundation (SACF) Board of Trustees has appointed Ashley Magnus as its next Executive Director. An accomplished nonprofit executive with extensive experience in philanthropy, fundraising, strategic planning, and community engagement, Magnus brings a proven track record of organizational growth and community impact to the Foundation.
Three Rivers approves splash pad plan funding; continues SAFEbuilt discussions
SAFEbuilt came up repeatedly throughout the meeting, with commissioners raising their own and residents’ complaints about the company and SAFEbuilt representatives responding. The discussion began during public comment when Glenn Lindsay, SAFEbuilt’s Midwest director of operations, addressed what he said were social media posts regarding the amount the city pays SAFEbuilt. Lindsay sought to explain the expenditures and argued that revenue from permits and rental inspections offsets much of the cost of SAFEbuilt’s services.
Dowagiac City Council selects Ward 1 replacement
After two split votes, Mayor Patrick Bakeman voted for David Fair as the successor to former Councilmember Tharan Suvarna, who resigned during their last meeting after accepting a job near his parents outside of Dowagiac. Fair will serve the remainder of Suvarna’s four-year term. Suvarna was elected in November 2025.
Local meeting primer: Three Rivers City Commission
The Three Rivers City Commission will meet this Tuesday, September 15 at 6 p.m. in city hall. Commissioners will work through a long agenda containing four public hearings and seven new business items. Commissioners will consider the next steps for a property transfer to Habitat for Humanity, the 2027 Parks and Recreation department plan — which includes a splash pad, a second attempt at the sale of 810 S. Constantine St., and an annual review of city commission and administration guidelines.
Local meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission
The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday, September 9, at 6 p.m. Commissioners will work through a light agenda with three new business items. They will consider three tree maintenance and forestry contracts, a $60,000 marketing contract for the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts, and an Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificate for Summit Polymers’ facility expansion.
Live-streaming plan heads back to drawing board in Three Rivers
City staff recommended purchasing a Meeting Owl 5 Pro camera and supplemental equipment for up to $5,000, along with adopting a video retention policy. The proposed policy called for recordings to be deleted one day after the minutes for the corresponding meeting were approved — which occurs at the following meeting, typically 2-3 weeks later — unless a legal, FOIA, audit or investigation hold applied. The system and policy were voted down unanimously.
